140 MW of solar online city-wide, with over 60 MW pending; ahead of schedule to meet Mayor’s 1 GW OneNYC solar goal
To further accelerate adoption of solar energy, the de Blasio administration today announced a new community group purchasing campaign today that will serve the community of Brownsville, Brooklyn. The campaign is part of Solarize NYC, a citywide program administered by the NYC Solar Partnership and designed to increase adoption of solar in communities that have historically lacked access to clean energy.
“We’re expanding access to solar across the city, and are thrilled to now include Brownsville in our community solar group purchasing program,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Through Solarize and other initiatives, we have already quintupled the solar capacity of New York City. We are well on our way to the goal of reducing carbon emissions 80% by 2050, and are building a cleaner, healthier and fairer city for all.”
Solarize NYC campaigns are one of several City-led efforts underway in support of the Mayor’s goal of installing 1 gigawatt of solar capacity citywide by 2030 – enough to power 250,000 homes. Since the start of the de Blasio administration, solar power has more than quintupled, providing more than 140 megawatts (MW) of electricity and directly supporting more than 2,700 jobs across the five boroughs. Another 60MW are in the process of being installed.
For the group purchasing campaign in Brownsville, the NYC Solar Partnership, led by Sustainable CUNY in collaboration with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and the NYC Economic Development Corporation, selected Nehemiah Economic Development Inc. (NED). As part of the campaign, the NYC Solar Partnership will work alongside NED and Brownsville community leaders to design a tailored program that will provide group discounts to qualifying residents for solar panels that can power Brownsville with affordable, carbon-free power. The award includes technical assistance from CUNY solar ombudsmen, funding support for staff of NED to lead the campaign, and marketing and outreach plans tailored to the needs of the Brownsville community.
Last spring, the city announced the first round of Solarize NYC campaigns. These launches build upon the success of the 2015 NYSolar Smart Solarize Brooklyn CB6 pilot program, through which 26 contracts were signed for a total of 141 kilowatts of solar power. Overall, Solarize campaigns are expected to lower costs by 10 to 20 percent.
While the latest Solarize NYC campaign is getting up and running in Brownsville, the first community shared solar projects are going live throughout the city. Community shared solar enables renters and others who cannot install solar panels on their own rooftops to subscribe to shares of electric generation from a solar array elsewhere in New York City. Two such projects are now coming online in East New York, featuring more than 1 MW in combined capacity and providing solar energy to more than 200 customers, roughly 50% of whom will be low-to-moderate income New Yorkers. These projects are developed and owned by Daroga Power. Additional community shared solar projects will soon begin operation elsewhere in the city, including two projects from Clean Choice Energy in Brooklyn (one of which currently accepting subscribers), a project by SunPower and Project Economics in Maspeth that is fully subscribed, and several projects by OnForce Solar in the Bronx and Staten Island that will soon accept subscribers. Other community shared solar projects seeking to enroll subscribers are encouraged to emailnysolar@cuny.edu.
“New York City continues to lead the fight against climate change. We’re lowering greenhouse gas emissions, preparing for rising seas and more intense storms, and taking the fight directly to the fossil fuel interests that have caused this problem,” said Daniel Zarrilli, NYC’s Senior Director for Climate Policy and Programs and Chief Resilience Officer. “Today’s announcement expanding Solarize into Brownsville is one more way that we are leading the charge and helping to build the fairest big city in America. Thanks to Nehemiah Economic Development Inc. for their partnership as we expand access to clean, affordable solar power across the city.”
“Expanding solar energy in NYC is about more than cheaper and cleaner electricity, it's a powerful emblem that illustrates our City’s commitment to transition to a green economy while becoming a more just city," said Mark Chambers, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability.
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